South Australian hip hop group DEM MOB have released their new single and music video, ‘Frequency’, created in collaboration with the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA).

The track marks a return home for the group after years travelling between Adelaide and the APY Lands. For the recording, DEM MOB loaded a recording van and travelled to Wali Kutju, Basso’s family homeland, roughly an hour south of Uluru. With no mains power available at the site, the recording sessions ran from a generator, with Basso’s father and uncle also joining the sessions.

The group says the location was central to the creation of the track, with Country, family and culture shaping the recording process.

‘Frequency’ explores ideas around inheritance, cultural knowledge and what is passed between generations. Its refrain calls on listeners to open their body, mind and Kurunpa, the Pitjantjatjara word for soul.

DEM MOB describe the song as a “generational song”, centred on learning from elders, keeping knowledge alive and passing it forward. The group connects the song’s themes to the continuation of Anangu culture, including language, Country, song, dance and ways of living.

The track also became the starting point for a new visual project after DEM MOB were selected through a joint competition run by triple j, rage and NIDA. The opportunity gave the group a week in Sydney working alongside NIDA students to create the official music video.

The resulting production brought together the song’s remote origins and a Sydney soundstage, with the video directed by Elyse Armstrong and produced by Tianna Perini. Dillon Mak served as director of photography, with Adithi Iyer as production designer and Cameron Manion as editor.

‘Frequency’ is now available to buy and stream.

Formed in the remote APY Lands of South Australia, DEM MOB are described as the first hip hop group to rap in Pitjantjatjara. The quartet has developed a body of work combining English and Pitjantjatjara verses, with hip hop used as a vehicle for education and equity in remote Australia.

The group has performed at WOMADelaide, Primavera Sound in Barcelona, SXSW Sydney, New York’s Lincoln Center and the Toronto International First Nations Summit. Their accolades include multiple South Australian Music Awards, the APRA Emily Burrows Award and the Helpmann Academy’s Elise Ross Prize.

DEM MOB have also worked extensively in education, including helping open the new Fregon Anangu School in the far north of South Australia’s Anangu Lands, where they ran songwriting, performance and stagecraft workshops with ARIA Award-winning rapper BARKAA.

LISTEN HERE + WATCH HERE

Produced by the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) and Triple J

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Some music asks to be heard. Some asks you to slow down.

For Hargun Kaur and Kirti Varsani, devotional music has been a shared creative practice since 2014, bringing together two distinct musical traditions and finding contemporary ways to present them without losing their connection to the sacred material at their centre.

Their latest releases, Chandaliyo and Surrender, take that idea in two very different directions. One draws on the movement and celebration of Gujarati folk traditions, while the other settles into a quieter, more reflective space shaped by Punjabi folk roots, traditional shabads and sacred texts.

Released on July 15, 2026, Chandaliyo is a 5:15 single inspired by Gujarati raas, garba and folk music. The track is built around Kirti Varsani’s composition and music direction, Hargun Kaur’s vocals and lyrics by Parth Tarpara. At its centre is a 200 year old traditional chhand by Sadguru Shree Brahmanand Swami, reimagined through a modern rap rhythm.

That contrast is fundamental to the track. The traditional devotional text remains at its core, while the contemporary rhythm gives it a different musical setting. Varsani’s production keeps the arrangement rooted in Gujarati folk tradition, while Kaur’s vocal performance carries both the reverence of the original chhand and the playfulness associated with the raas and garba traditions that inspire the song.

The track credits Roto Shah as arranger and Jay Rathod as music assistant, with recording, dubbing and mixing completed at WoW & Flutter Studio. Tanay Gajjar and Kardamsharma Joshi are credited as mix engineers. Dipesh Mavani handled direction of photography, editing and colour, with Divyesh Chikani and Monik Nakrani credited on the video team. Distribution is credited to Artvik Studios, Vikram N. Chauhan.

If Chandaliyo finds its energy through movement, Surrender takes the opposite route.

Released July 27, 2026, Surrender is a six track devotional album filed under New Age, Ambient and Chant. The record brings Punjabi folk roots and traditional shabads into a contemporary setting, with Kaur’s vocals moving between chant and melody and Varsani’s arrangements giving the songs room to breathe.

The album’s six tracks are Surrender (Ja Tu Mere Wal) at 5:47, Reverence (So Satguru Pyara) at 5:46, Eternal (Saaiyan) at 6:24, Divine Grace (Kar Rehmatan) at 4:26, Refuge (Guru Ramdas Rakho Sarnayi) at 3:46 and Oneness (Ik Onkar) at 2:17. The sequence moves from invocation through devotion and closes with Oneness (Ik Onkar).

Kaur is credited with lead vocals, while Varsani is the album’s music director and one of its composers alongside Kaur. The lyrics draw from traditional sacred texts and shabads adapted for musical performance, alongside original lyrics by Kaur.

The partnership behind the music brings together two different backgrounds. Kaur is from Amritsar, Punjab, and is described as an award winning singer, lyricist and harmonium player. She was a Top 5 finalist on India’s Got Talent and works across more than five languages, bridging classical and contemporary styles.

Varsani is from Bhuj Kutch, Gujarat, and has spent decades composing devotional music, with his work including music for Maninagar Shree Swaminarayan Gadi Sansthan. Their collaboration brings these different traditions together while maintaining a contemporary focus.

Across Surrender, the pair adapt traditional shabads and sacred texts alongside original lyrics, with the album moving from invocation through devotion to the quiet release of its closing track.

Taken together, Chandaliyo and Surrender show the breadth of Kaur and Varsani’s ongoing collaboration. Chandaliyo places a centuries old devotional text inside a modern rhythmic framework, drawing from the communal energy of Gujarati folk traditions. Surrender turns inward, using chant, melody and spacious arrangements to create a devotional record centred on reflection.

The connection between the two releases is not a particular genre or production style, but the way Kaur and Varsani approach traditional material: with the source traditions remaining central while the music creates a contemporary setting around them. After working together since 2014, these releases continue a partnership built around faith, heritage and contemporary musical expression.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kirtivarsaniofficial/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kirtivarsani

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirtivarsani

Instagram: @iamhargunkaur

Facebook: Hargun Kaur on Facebook

Official website: hargunkaur.com

Australian producer and songwriter Maxwell Byrne, the artist behind 1tbsp, has released ‘Wish You Luck’, a collaboration with Vienna based artist kid on air, also known as Juanita Sohé Pereira Lillo.

The track explores consumerism and the rituals of modern life through clipped cycles, electronic textures and repetition. Byrne and Pereira Lillo wrote the song at Villa Lala Studios in Vienna last summer, with Byrne drawn to the mechanical quality of the lyrics and their repeated, functional character.

That idea became central to the track. Byrne has described the lyrics as feeling mechanical and repetitive, similar to components moving along a production line, connecting with themes he is exploring in his forthcoming work.

The contrast comes through in the chorus, which Byrne wanted to break away from the more repetitive structure of the verses. He cites Blur’s ‘Song 2’ as a reference point, recalling first hearing the song as a child through the trailer for the 2004 Thunderbirds film.

The accompanying video was filmed in Vienna a year after the song was written. Byrne co directed the video with Elif Gündüz, with styling by Alara Koçman and Pereira Lillo involved throughout the production.

The video’s concept developed from conversations between Byrne and Gündüz about the heightened awareness of germs following COVID 19 and the everyday habits associated with it. The video explores ideas around touch, contamination and ordinary objects, with the production including a papier mâché bar of soap made by Byrne and Pereira Lillo the night before filming.

‘Wish You Luck’ continues the open ended approach Byrne has developed through 1tbsp since launching the project in 2021. His work as 1tbsp draws from house, reggaeton, synth pop, techno and other elements of global club culture, with previous collaborations including Ninajirachi, Soltera and mietze conte.

Before 1tbsp, Byrne established himself as a songwriter and producer under the name Golden Vessel. 1tbsp began as an outlet for ideas that did not fit within that project and has since developed into a separate body of work.

As 1tbsp, Byrne has performed at festivals including Laneway Festival, Groovin the Moo, Electric Forest, Portola, Shambala and Strawberry Fields, alongside headline shows in Australia, Europe and North America.

His creative work also extends into film and visual projects through his independent production company and music label dottidot. His debut short film, Sandtrap, was presented at Bolton Film Festival in 2025.

‘Wish You Luck ft. kid on air’ is out now.

1tbsp 2026 Tour Dates

Sunday 4 October
Yours & Owls, Wollongong, NSW

Friday 16 October
III Points Festival, Miami, FL

Saturday 17 October
Pisces, Atlanta, GA

Sunday 18 October
III Points Satellite Party @ The Ground, Miami, FL

Thursday 22 October
Nowadays, Brooklyn, NY

Friday 23 October
Runnymede, Toronto, ON

Saturday 24 October
Transmission, Washington, DC

Friday 30 October
Studio TD, Montreal, QC

Saturday 31 October
La Escuelita, Chihuahua, MX

Sunday 1 November
Antro Juan, Mexico City, MX

Saturday 14 November
Seismic Dance Event, Austin, TX

Friday 20 November
Strawberry Fields Festival, Tocumwal, NSW

Saturday 26 December
WAT Boxing Day Event, Barwon Heads Hotel, VIC

The release identifies ‘Wish You Luck’ as out now and lists the above dates as part of 1tbsp’s 2026 schedule.

Get tickets here

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Philadelphia based art folk duo @, pronounced “at”, have released a new single titled ‘Bird’, taken from their forthcoming debut album for 4AD, Autosmile.

Autosmile is due for release on Friday 16 October via 4AD / Remote Control Records. The album will be the duo’s first release with 4AD.

‘Bird’ opens with acoustic guitar and clarinet passages before moving into choral harmonies. The band describes the song as being inspired by dead baby birds that repeatedly appeared on a deck, with the track written during a bike ride through Druid Hill Park in Baltimore.

The accompanying music video was directed by Caity Arthur. Arthur’s visual approach was influenced by the song’s combination of humour and macabre subject matter, as well as the death of a bird on her own balcony while she was developing the video.

‘Bird’ follows two previously released tracks from Autosmile: ‘Punish My Mind’ and the album’s title track, ‘Autosmile’. The latter runs for nearly seven minutes and was selected by Pitchfork as a Best New Track.

Autosmile features 11 tracks, including ‘Bird’, ‘Love In The Dark’, ‘I Know You Are (But What Am I Thinking)’, ‘Earthly Love’, ‘Your Dog’, ‘Untitled’, ‘I’m Not In Pain’, ‘Punish My Mind’, ‘Judgement Farmer’, ‘Autosmile’ and ‘Amity’.

The album brings together multi instrumentalist songwriters Victoria Rose and Stone Filipczak. Away from @, Rose works as a beekeeper while Filipczak is a self taught computer programmer. Their collaboration draws on psychedelic folk, with the album also incorporating baroque arrangements, indie rock songwriting and progressive flourishes.

The duo have described their songwriting process as deliberately private, with Rose and Filipczak not telling each other what their individual songs are about. Across Autosmile, the lyrics explore themes of adversity and possibility while maintaining the project’s focus on curiosity and wonder.

Alongside the album release, @ have announced a North American headline tour and a new London headline show scheduled for June 2027.

Autosmile will be available on Soil Brown vinyl, CD and digital formats. A special bundle featuring the Soil Brown LP, a 12×12 insert and signed photo print is also available to pre order through Bandcamp and the 4AD webstore.

‘Bird’ is available to stream and download now, with Autosmile arriving 16 October via 4AD / Remote Control Records.

@
Website | Instagram | Twitter | Bandcamp

 NEW SINGLE ‘FLOWERS (FEATURING PIP MILLETT)

UPCOMING SECOND STUDIO ALBUM SOMEWHERE BETWEEN

OUT OCTOBER 16 VIA PLAY IT AGAIN SAM

Leeds-based trio Gotts Street Park have announced their second studio album, Somewhere Between, set for release on October 16 via Play It Again Sam. Alongside the announcement, the instrumentalists and producers have shared new single ‘Flowers’, featuring longtime collaborator Pip Millett.

‘Flowers’ draws on the sound of soul music’s golden age, built around a gently rolling chord progression and an understated groove. The track explores resilience, patience and the possibility of brighter days, with Millett’s intimate vocal delivery sitting alongside the trio’s restrained instrumentation and arrangements.

Millett has previously collaborated with Gotts Street Park on tracks including ‘Got To Be Good’, ‘Change My Ways’ and ‘Fool For Love’. Speaking about ‘Flowers’, she describes the song as being about moving through difficult periods in order to grow into something positive, with the reminder that difficult days do not last forever.

The track originated during a session at Chairworks, a studio outside Leeds, where Gotts Street Park were working with Millett on material for her album. The group said the session produced around four songs, with ‘Flowers’ initially existing as a more stripped-back groove. The trio recalled repeatedly playing the same section for an extended period because of how much they enjoyed it, eventually developing the track further.

Somewhere Between continues the soul, jazz and hip-hop influences present throughout Gotts Street Park’s previous work while introducing elements of psychedelic music, folk and Americana. The album draws inspiration from artists including Dick Gaughan, Jessica Pratt, Big Thief and Blaze Foley, alongside the working methods of the house bands associated with Stax Records and Sun Records.

The trio have described the record as an expansion of their established sound rather than a complete departure, with new musical elements woven into their existing approach. The album also places an emphasis on collaborative and human approaches to music-making, with Gotts Street Park highlighting intuition, openness and the chemistry created when musicians work together.

The album features a substantial cast of guest vocalists, including Celeste, Olive Jones, Pip Millett, Matt Maltese, Sofia and the Antoinettes, anaiis and Rosie Lowe. The 11-track record includes previously released singles ‘Some Birds Don’t Fly’, featuring Matt Maltese, and ‘Easy’, featuring Celeste.

‘Some Birds Don’t Fly’ arrived as the album’s first single in May, followed by ‘Easy’ in July. ‘Easy’ features Celeste and combines retro soul and hip-hop influences, while ‘Some Birds Don’t Fly’ brings together soft rock and neo-soul with blues influences.

Somewhere Between follows Gotts Street Park’s 2023 album On The Inside. According to the band’s latest release information, On The Inside has surpassed 300 million streams across digital streaming platforms. The album included tracks such as ‘Got To Be Good’ featuring Pip Millett, ‘Fuego’, ‘Mountains’ featuring ENNY and ‘Tell Me Why’ featuring Olive Jones.

‘Got To Be Good’ has also appeared beyond the album, with placements in Season 3 of BBC series Boarders and the Universal Pictures film Finding Emily, starring Spike Fearn and Minnie Driver.

With ‘Flowers’ now available and Somewhere Between scheduled for release on October 16, Gotts Street Park are continuing to expand the musical territory established across their previous work while maintaining the collaborative approach that has shaped their catalogue.

Somewhere Between tracklist:

Wake Me Up (feat. Olive Jones)
Flowers (feat. Pip Millett)
Nico’s Theme
Some Birds Don’t Fly (feat. Matt Maltese)
Shape Of America (feat. Sofia and the Antoinettes)
Easy (feat. Celeste)
Lay Low
Below The Water (feat. Rosie Lowe)
Don’t Give Up (feat. anaiis)
Slippy
Going Home

Somewhere Between by Gotts Street Park
is out October 16 on Play It Again Sam
Pre-save: https://gottsstreetpark.lnk.to/somewhere-betweenPR

For more information on Gotts Street Park, follow them below.

First Nations musicians, bands and producers across Australia are being invited to submit their music for First Sounds Volume 15, with submissions officially opening today, Tuesday 15 September.

A collaboration between the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia (CBAA) and Gadigal Information Service / Koori Radio (GIS), First Sounds provides a national platform connecting First Nations artists with Australia’s community radio network.

Since launching in 2020, First Sounds has released more than 14 volumes, with the initiative continuing to document and promote the breadth of contemporary First Nations music across the country. The project has delivered hundreds of tracks to radio presenters, with Volumes 10–14 generating more than 10,000 community radio spins over the past 12 months.

The latest volume will continue that work, bringing together music from artists working across genres including alt-pop, soul, rock, hip-hop, country and Blaktronica, while reflecting the stories, languages, cultures and connections to Country that sit at the heart of much First Nations music.

For artists, being selected offers exposure beyond the compilation itself. Successful applicants will appear on both digital releases and physical compilation CDs distributed directly to community radio stations around Australia through AMRAP, putting their music in front of broadcasters, tastemakers and audiences nationwide.

The impact of First Sounds can already be seen through artists who have featured on previous volumes. Filipino-Muruwari hip-hop artist DOBBY, who appeared on First Sounds Volume 1, went on to win an ARIA Award and reach No. 6 on the ARIA charts with his debut album Warrangu: River Story.

Community radio also plays an important role in supporting Australian music more broadly. Recent research led by Monash University and Griffith University found that Indigenous-led stations account for a third of the sector’s most Australian-music-intensive stations, highlighting the role community broadcasting continues to play in developing and connecting local First Nations talent with audiences.

For Volume 15, submissions will be reviewed by a panel bringing together First Nations artists, broadcasters, radio programmers and music industry professionals. The panel includes Thalia Skopellos, First Nations Project Coordinator at MusicNSW and producer and composer; Charlie Woods, artist and frontperson of Charlie Needs Braces; Gunai/Kurnai and Yorta Yorta artist, DJ and producer DJ PGZ, who is also a radio presenter at 3RRR; and Eora Sydney-based broadcaster Aaron Langford, presenter and producer at Koori Radio.

Charlie Woods, who has previously been featured twice on First Sounds, will join the selection panel for the first time for Volume 15.

“First Sounds means being connected to a community that recognises the power of our stories, culture and creativity,” Woods said. “It creates a space for mob to be heard, celebrated, and supported on our own terms.”

The panel will be looking for radio-ready tracks released within the past 18 months, with submissions open to First Nations musicians, bands and producers based in Australia.

First Sounds Volume 15 submissions are open from Tuesday 15 September until Tuesday 13 October 2026.

With its combination of national radio distribution, industry exposure and a focus on self-representation, First Sounds continues to provide an important pathway for First Nations artists to place their music directly in front of community broadcasters and listeners across Australia.

How to Apply

First Nations musicians from across Australia are invited to submit radio-ready tracks released within the last 18 months. Submissions will be reviewed and selected by an esteemed panel of First Nations artists, broadcasters, radio programmers and music industry professionals, bringing together decades of experience across music, radio, production and creative practice.

The panel includes Thalia Skopellos, First Nations Project Coordinator at MusicNSW and producer and composer; Charlie Woods, artist and frontperson of Charlie Needs Braces; Gunai/Kurnai & Yorta Yorta artist, DJ and producer DJ PGZ and radio presenter at 3RRR; and Eora Sydney-based broadcaster Aaron Langford, presenter and producer at Koori Radio. Together, the judges bring a deep understanding of First Nations music and culture, contemporary Australian music, radio and the evolving pathways for First Nations artists to connect with audiences.

Having been featured twice on First Sounds, Charlie Woods is thrilled to join the selection panel for Volume 15: “First Sounds means being connected to a community that recognises the power of our stories, culture and creativity. It creates a space for mob to be heard, celebrated, and supported on our own terms, and I am very excited to get the opportunity to listen to new music from mob, and support the next wave of great First Nations artists.”

Successful applicants will feature on both digital releases and physical compilation CDs distributed directly to stations nationwide via AMRAP.org.au, putting their sound in front of key taste-makers and community audiences across the country.

Submission Details:

Who can apply: First Nations musicians, bands, and producers based in Australia.

Eligibility: Radio-ready tracks released in the past 18 months.

Format & Distribution: Digital and physical CD distribution directly to community broadcasters nationwide via amrap.org.au.

Don’t miss the opportunity to take your music to national airwaves.

Submit your song and artist profile today to shape the next chapter of contemporary First Nations music.

Applications open from Tuesday 15 September to Tuesday 13 October 2026 via firstsounds.amrap.org.au

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